The Destiny of the Darkness
by PikaDrayer
Summary: What if at the beginning of the World a group of Morinquendi elves decided to separate way with the Sindars and the Silvans to prove that the Darkness wasn't always related to Evil and could be tamed ? And what if a Valar heard them and took interest in them ? How would it change Middle-Earth ?
1. Chapter 1 : The Letter

**_Well first I hope you'll like it ! Many thanks at Glenstorm63 who accept to be my Beta ^^ Enjoy !_**

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"King Thranduil ! My King ! There is a messenger from Imladris. He says he is in possession of an important letter from Lord Elrond and that he can only give it to you in person. He is waiting outside!" announced one of the guard in station behind the main gate of Mirkwood, slightly out of breath.

"Very well, let him come in." replied the King. He was slightly worried but hid it well behind a mask of cool indifference. Something about the situation and the obvious urgency of the messenger was highly troublesome.

The messenger was a young elf wearing the armor of Imladris. He approached until he could kneel in front of the throne and handed Thranduil the letter. The blond elf took it and opened it without another word.

 _"King Thranduil of Greenwood;_

 _My dear friend, ..."_

 _Flashback:_

Thranduil really did not want to be here. But an invitation from his friend Elrond along with Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien, could not be refused. And in truth whatever the purpose of this visit may be, intrigued him a little. But only a little. That's why he was here along with his wife and son in those wonderful woods. He had received the letter only a few weeks ago, and had decided almost immediately that his friend was a damn traitor and a coward.

 _"King Thranduil of Greenwood;_

 _My dear friend, as you already know my wife's sister, Elwing is wed to the Isil Elves' King, Lómion Aeglosion. And I'm sure you are aware that twenty years ago they were blessed with an elfling. It was decided by both Galadriel and Celebrían that small disagreements between our realms should not keep our families apart and so they both called a reunion in Lothlórien to talk about an eventual alliance._

 _Being the King of Greenwood your presence is of course expected. And whilst I do not completely agree that you are required, I find myself unwilling to raise the ire of either my wife or mother-in-law. I hope of course for the support of my dear friend._

 _Your friend,_

 _Lord Elrond of Imladris"_

Small disagreements? What a joke! The Isil elves; elves of the Moon, were as the Grey Elves, Sindar and thus Moriquendi. Elves of the Night. They had never seen the light of the Trees of Valinor. But that was as far as their similarities went. Whereas the Sindar had become a strong and noble race under the reign of Thingol and Melian, the Isil elves had found a particular interest in magic and Dark Arts. They had been persuaded that darkness and evil were not to be relied upon.

Their King in those early days had been Dairiun, an excellent leader but also a curious and ambitious elf. He wanted to look were everyone else would have been afraid, and to bear what the others would have deemed unbearable. That was why of the Valar, it was Nienna, sister of Mandos and Irmo, Mistress of Grief and Mourning, who took an interest in them. She it was, who had accorded Dairiun's line great powers; dark powers. In exchange, it was understood that Nienna had imposed a level of suffering in their lives that would demand that they use their powers wisely.

'He doomed his line to suffering, all for some tainted powers.' thought the fair King bitterly. The Kingdom of the Isil elves was called Seregon and was hidden in the Hithaeglir -or Misty Mountains- between Imladris and Greenwood. It was said that it was impossible to find the entry without the permission of the descendants of Dairiun, because of their powers.

Thranduil considered his few interactions with this people. The Isil elves were easy to recognize for their hair were of the color of the night and their eyes were of a light shade of gray, almost shining, looking as the Moon in the sky. The legend said that their hair was made to blend in the Shadow and their eyes to pierce its mysteries.

It seemed that officially, the wedding between Elwing and King Lómion Aeglosion was to ease relations between the Isil and Noldor. But what few people knew, Thranduil amongst them, was that both had fallen madly in love at the first sight of each other. It was a rare occurrence. Thranduil was even persuaded that they were Soulmates.

Thranduil smiled wryly to himself. Their story was fit the cliché of heroic deeds. Elwing's escort had been attacked on the way from Lothlórien to Imladris by Orcs and a party of Isils elves led by Lómion that was in the vicinity, had come to their defence and salvation.

Lómion had been injured whilst protecting Elwing and she had decided to take him to Imladris, to the care of her brother-in-law. After that and despite Elrond and Celebrían's warnings to the two had spend much time together. Then after a brief trip to Lothlórien, in which the Isil King had asked Celeborn and Galadriel for Elwing's hand in marriage, their troth was plighted and the events set in train for a formal wedding. Thranduil could not but admire the courage as well as the temerity, of both Lómion and Elrond, in both supporting and pursuing this unlikely alliance.

So here Thranduil was, walking toward the place where the banquet would be held, hoping to be able to talk with someone, either Elrond or Celeborn, about the madness of their wives before the beginning of the feast. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't see the elfling who ran toward him until he felt something bump onto his legs. When he look down he saw a mop of dark blond hair and a pair of big grey eyes ready to unleash a torrent of tears.

The elfling was obviously running through the hall without looking where she was going. She had knocked herself into the King's legs. Knowing from experience that if he didn't act quickly he would find himself with a crying and very upset elfling he crouched to his knees and took a nice and open face.

"Mae Govannen tithen pen. What is your name?"

Now that he could see her correctly he found that her hair was not really dark blond at all but a dark brown on the crown which quickly descended to become a very bright gold, almost like a Vanya. She was a perfect melange of Elwing's golden hair and green eyes and Lómion's black hair and gray eyes. He found it was not difficult to guess who she was.

"I am not supposed to tell my name to strangers." was the shy answer.

 _'Well a least she has some brain'_ thought the King, _'unlike two peredhel twins I happen to know'._

"And if I tell you my name I will not be a stranger anymore, yes?" after a hesitant nod from the elfling he continued "My name is Thranduil Oropherion, I am the King of Greenwood the Great."

"You are a King like my ada?" her eyes were now wide open and she looked at him with something like admiration.

 _'Yes I really think I could like her',_ he thought to himself. When he nodded she hurried on to explain:

"I was supposed to come back to my room before the big dinner to let my nana help me into a beautiful dress, even if I really don't like dresses, because you know it is a big big dinner, But I lost myself..." And if the excitation in the child's voice had gone crescendo during her explanation, this last phrase was mumbled in such a low voice that the older elf almost did not catch it.

"Well, I happen to know where all the rooms are, so maybe if I take you there you will be able to find yours?"

 _End Flashback_

Thranduil's eyes swept over line after line in the letter before his gaze was inevitably drawn to the letter's conclusion.

 _"... and so it is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of the King and the Queen of Seregon, along with their young Princess._

 _Your friend,_

 _Lord Elrond of Imladris"_

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 ** _So I hope you liked it ! Please let a review for I take all the criticisms, good or bad ^^ I'll be back Shortly with the next chapter !_**


	2. Chapter 2 : Fire and Smoke

_**Hi ! I'm back ! Many thanks to Glenstorm63 who still help me with my many faults, I hope you'll enjoy it :)**_

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It was a calm sunny day when a guard came running headlong into Elrond's office. The door crashed into the wall making Lord Elrond jump! At first the Lord of Imladris could not understand what the poor elf, who was out of breath of breath, was trying to say. When Lord Elrond finally understood, he almost wished he was deaf. He ran to the balcony only to see it was true. In the courtyard, here in Imladris were dozens of Isil elves, most of them hurt, all of them grieving.

' _What has happened? Where are Lómion and Elwing?_ ' Then he espied Thyrion, the Head of Seregon's guard. Quickly making his way to him, he shouted orders to take care of the injured elves.

"What has happened?" asked Elrond, alarmed, and dreading the answer at the sight of the elf in front of him. "The city has been attacked, my Lord. We were not prepared ! We ..." but Thyrion was cut by the Lord of Imladris.

"Wait a moment. What do you mean ' _The city has been attacked_ '? How could your defenses have been breached?"

This was not possible, Seregon could not have fall ! Lómion was protecting the borders!

"Our King was strong, Lord Elrond, but not strong enough to fight against a dragon."

A dragon… No, this was not possible ! There was no dragons anymore ! But the look of utter defeat in Thyrion's eyes and the burns he could see on all the refugees were proving it.

A dragon… Yes, a dragon's magic would have overpowered Lómions'domain. But what about he himself? What about Elwing and their elfling ? Then he understood. ' _Our King_ _ **was**_ _strong_ '. But he could not grieve, not now, when so many people needed his help.

"Come with me to my office. I'll treat you there and you will tell me everything."

They made their way in the house and toward Lord Elrond's office. Once there Elrond asked the guard to sit and began his examination while Thyrion related his tale, his eyes closed, almost reliving the events of this last few days.

 _Flashback : a few days before_

They had not seen it coming. One moment it had been a peaceful and normal day, and the next alarm bells were rungs, horns blown and shouts were heard everywhere. The same word was repeated again and again in every conversation, ' _a dragon !'_.

Thyrion knew well the two bells that were ringing. The first one was to signal an attack and the second one to evacuate the city. So Seregon was lost… Already fire was everywhere, spreading and destroying everything in his path, the smoke blocking the sight and the breathing for the ones trying to escape.

The Head of the guard did not know how much time had passed, only that he needed to continue, looking in every standing building or house, helping the hurt ones, fighting the flame threatening those who were blocked inside. But the fire was everywhere, burning, choking, and killing.

That is when he had seen her, a golden blur in all this red and gray, helping the evacuation. "You should evacuate too, my Princess." The young elleth was about to answer, probably to say that it was her duty to help her people, when they saw it, a dragon in all its glory, landing on the ruins of the castle and facing the King himself.

"Ada!" she screamed. Already she had turned around and was making her way to the beast, to her father.

"No! Princess ! Do not go! This is madness!"

He already knew he had lost his Queen and was going to loose his King. He couldn't loose his Princess too !

"Thyrion, I want you to guide and protect the refugees. Lead them safely to Imladris, Lord Elrond will know what to do." It was the calm in her voice which really made the chief of the Guard most afraid.

"But..."

"No Thyrion, you are the only one I can trust for this task. If I am to not come back I want you to take the throne and govern our people. Please, do it for them, if not for me." The determination in her eyes was what undid the older elf. The cold light inside those gray pools couldn't be fought.

So he did as he was tasked, completing the evacuation, trying to save as many people as possible, leading them to the tunnel that had been designed for this particular purpose. He was about to engage the tunnel himself when he saw his Princess standing alone, proud, in front of the beast, protecting her father with her powers.

He saw her pride at blocking the dragon's flames and her distress when they only grew in strength, when she only became weaker. He saw with horror the moment the dark shield in front of broke, allowing the fire to devour her body. Not wanting to see more of this awful spectacle he was about to leave when the last words of his King echoed.

"You may have won this battle, Dragon, but I will win this war! I know why you came here, and you will not have what you are looking for. I will destroy it along with you. If my descendants cannot have it, neither will you or your dark Master!"

At this moment a black cloud had emanated from his body, enveloping the dragon completely and somehow draining the life out of him. With a last roar the beast had fallen, along with his King.

 _End Flashback_

"So it has been destroyed..." murmured Elrond, looking defeated.

"Yes, my Lord ! My King used his last breath to destroy the beast." responded Thyrion, proudly.

"That is not what I meant, young one. What I will tell you now must remain the greatest secret. Only Lady Galadriel and the Lord Celeborn, Mithrandir and myself know of this secret. Now with the death of the Royal family, I would share it with you."

Thyrion looked puzzled and overwhelmed but he gathered himself to listen to what lord Elrond told him next.

"You know well that Celebrimbor forged the three elven rings. What few know is that when he was creating them the Valar Nienna appeared to him and asked him to forge a fourth ring. It was the ring of Darkness: Mornië. She told him to give this ring to Aeglos Dairiunion, who, after the death of his father Dairiun during the fight against Sauron had become the King of the Isil elves."

He continued, "When Celebrimbor asked why she would ask this boon, for despite having fought alongside the elves of the Moon, most still had little love for them. Nienna replied that that one day a descendant of Dairiun, a person of both Darkness and Light, would use this ring and defeat a great Evil. So Celebrimbor did as she asked and only gave this information to the other ring bearers."

"The moment Galadriel saw your princess, bearing both the Darkness of your King and the Light of her daughter, she knew she was the One of the Prophecy. She told so to Lómion and Elwing, told them to train her and protect her. For one day she would have to defeat Sauron. Somehow Sauron must have been aware of this, ordering the attack on Seregon to protect himself. And now the line of Dairiun is dead and Lómion destroyed!"

"Mornië..." Elrond took in a shuddering breath and then sighed, his shoulders slumped. This was really a dreadful situation. Had all their hopes of victory died with the rest of the family? No, it was still not the moment for self-pity and grieving. So he finished tending Thyrion and excused himself.

"Now I think I have tended to your wounds sufficiently for the present. If you will now return to comfort your surviving people, my healers are with them. I have some letters to write..."

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 _ **Well hope you liked it :) Please let a review, I take all criticisms, good or bad ^^**_


	3. Chapter 3 : Mercenary

**_Well here is the third chapter :) Thanks to Glenstorm63 for all the corrections ! I hope you will like it ^^_**

 ** _PS : for the song in French with English subtitles search on Youtube "Anastasia - Once Upon A December French (S + T)" It's really beautiful !_**

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 _107 years later_

Little Estel could not stop crying. He had no tears left, but his body continued to shake uncontrollably, his breathing difficult. It was his fault. He knew it. But it didn't lessen the utter terror he was feeling. He shouldn't have followed the strangers when they had left Imladris, but the boy of only six years had been so curious about them!

His father had been angry at him for running in the halls and the winding passages. The twins had left a few days before for Mirkwood, so he didn't think he would be missed if he was outside for an hour or two. He had followed four mysterious men who had stayed in Imladris for only a week.

From what he had heard they had been attacked by orcs on their way to a hall that lay beyond Imladris and had stumbled into the valley, obviously not intending to find an elvish community there. When they had been detected Glorfindel had been charged to bring them to Elrond and their leader, Ranfar, had asked for sanctuary. They had been kept apart and closed guarded during their stay, so had had no chance to hold converse with them. Following them secretly, Estel had tracked them for an hour all by himself and then announced his presence, hoping to talk with them and learn more about the outside world.

But they had not talked. In fact as soon as they had seen him they had snatched him and tied him up. When Estel had wanted to scream they just had shoved a dirty cloth in his mouth and put him on a horse in front of Ranfar. Whilst the little boy had been crying all the way he could hear the men laughing and debating about how much money they could do with him. They had rode a few hours until they arrived at a small village where they took him immediately to a small tavern.

The room was full of old men, all of them eyeing Estel as if he were a tender piece of meat. The only women were the three serving women and they did not seem interested in aiding the little child. But then he felt another type of stare on him and turning his head, he could see into the far corner on his left. There was what to his sharp eyes somehow seemed to be a woman, entirely clothed in black, wearing light leather armor. She also had a cloth veiling her nose and mouth and was wearing her hood, hiding all her features except for her gleaming eyes.

Mercenary his mind immediately supplied. Well, he couldn't hope for help from her either, as the mercenaries were known to always mind their own business. He could hear the men talking about him and was becoming more and more desperate. Their conversations were taking a path he did not truly understand but that frightened him all the same.

"Oh come on! Just a night with him! Look how pretty he is, I'm sure he is a wonderful bed-warmer !" one man was commenting loudly.

"No no, Enfor, if you really want the boy it's five pieces or nothing. And really you know he is a virgin, so it's truly fair price."

After a loud 'humpf' the man who addressed as Enfor gave the coins to Ranfar and looked at Estel with a sickening lust.

That was when a clear calm voice was heard to say, "Close your eyes tithen pen, do not open them until I tell you otherwise."

The order was given in Sindarin, which surprised the little boy and all the persons in the room. The one who had spoken was the mercenary. She had arisen and was making her way toward them. All warmth seemed to have left the room and she moved with mortal purpose.

When Estel met her eyes he gasped. They were two orbs, shining with the light of the Moon, intense, cold… deadly. But somehow he knew she was more truth-worthy than the men actually holding him. So he closed his eyes, praying to Eru to save him. At least if she decided to kill him it would be fast and probably painless.

When she was sure the little boy couldn't see her anymore the mercenary turned her cold gaze upon the men in front of her. "I know what are the rumors about the Guild of the Mercenaries, but let me tell you this, we do NOT accept rape, especially not of a child. Now, will you let us leave peacefully, or do I need to kill you all?"

It may be that if they had not drunk so much of the ale of this house, they would have read her threat aright.

"What? You think you can kill all of us? Alone? Go back home little girl, let the grown men make their own deals."

Thinking his point made, the man who wanted the little one focused his attention again on the boy, reaching for him. His hand never touched Estel. Its owner fell, dead, a knife resting deeply in his chest. It took little time for the other four to regain their minds, but it was also time enough for the dark figure to unsheath her twin knives and begin her next move. Within a moment they were all dead, never really having had a chance to defend themselves.

Everyone in the room except the child was now eyeing the assassin in fear, not knowing what to do.

"You do not have to share their fate, but you will let us leave. And you will share this tale. You shall warn all of the fate that befalls a stealer of children and those who deal in rape for sport and money."

None made any move to get up or attack as she slowly made her way to the child. When she saw the tear-stained cheek and the trembling body she almost sighed. ' _In what kind of mess I am in now…?'_

When he felt a hand on his eyes Estel began to panic again but then the voice was there again.

"Come with me child, we will leave this place."

He was not sure if it was a good idea to follow the mercenary, but already she was guiding him outside, a hand still on his eyes. After a moment the hand left his face and he could see again. He nearly tried to run when he saw her holding a blade but she only used it to cut his wrists free and take the cloth from his mouth. She took him to the stables before quickly preparing her horse. He heard her speak in elvish to the horse. Its name appeared to be Shadow. Without another word, the woman put Estel on the saddle, took her place behind him and urged her mount to a gallop.

It was only half an hour later that they slowed down and came to halt, her horse blowing. She quickly dismounted and took hold of the boy to put him down. Estel still did not know what to think and was more than a little wary of the stranger.

Who was she? She was an elf obviously but also a mercenary. He could remember some of the disturbing stories his brothers had told him about them, not all of which he understood. Still, she seemed much safer than the men at the tavern, his mind supplied.

"Well youngster, my name is Dollaew, but if it pleases you, you may call me Laew. And you? What is your name boy?" She studied him again. There was a brief hesitation and then a shy answer. "Estel, mae govannen Lady Dollaew."

Laew couldn't help but laugh at that. "Truly Estel, just Laew is fine. I think it has been years since someone called me a 'Lady'. So tithen pen, from your clothes I guess you are from Imladris. Am I correct?"

So it was his clothes! Estel had wondered how the mercenary had anticipated he would know how to speak elvish. At the mention of Imladris tears threatened to fall again. "I want to go home..."

Seeing his crestfallen face her Laew could not help but crouch down in front of the boy and smile. "Then it is a good thing we are together. For that is where I intend to take you."

At this a mixture of joy and shame showed themselves in the boy's eyes along with his fright and exhaustion. "And I have nothing to pay you."

The mercenary looked at Estel bemusedly. "So! Do you really think that after having saved you from those men I would leave you all alone in the wild?"

The cheeks of the kid reddened and he lowered his eyes before mumbling "But my brother said that mercenaries always ask for money and that if you can't pay they will take you and sell you as a slave !"

Fury flashed briefly in Laew eyes before she calmed herself.

"Well Estel let me tell you something, we mercenaries may like to mind our own business and mayhap we do not always have a lot of morals, but we are not without a heart. Most of us have a tragic past, and that is why we will always help the ones in danger. Because it is the role of the strong to help the defenseless. That is why we would never tolerate abuse or slavery, do you understand?"

Now Estel was looking at her with an awed expression. What she had just said was exactly what he wanted to be! It was just like the Rangers who came from time to time to see his father !

"So you'll take me home?" This time his voice was light and happy, already knowing the answer.

"Yes little Hope, we have a few hours before us, but you shall see your family again."

With that the mercenary lifted the child onto Shadow's back once again and took her place behind him, urging the horse forward. Seeing the boy's eyes beginning to close with relief as much as exhaustion Leaw did the only thing she could think of. She sang a lullaby she had heard from one of her companions who had come from the far East. When he had translated it for her she had laughed at the irony.

" _Des images me reviennent_

 _Comme un souvenir tendre_

 _Une ancienne ritournelle_

 _Autrefois en décembre_

 _Je me souviens, il me semble_

 _Des jeux qu'on inventait ensemble_

 _Je retrouve dans un sourire_

 _La flamme de mes souvenirs_

 _Je me souviens, il me semble_

 _Des jeux qu'on inventait ensemble_

 _Je retrouve dans un sourire_

 _La flamme de mes souvenirs_

 _Et en moi, un écho_

 _Comme une braise sous la cendre_

 _Un murmure à mi-mot_

 _Que mon cœur veut comprendre_

 _Une ancienne ritournelle_

 _Loin du froid de décembre"_

It was some time after that Laew woke Estel. She had just passed the frontier of Imladris and she could hear horses coming their way. But when she saw exactly who were the riders her blood turned to ice in her veins. There, just in front of her, had come to a stop, Elrond the Lord of Imladris, Glorfindel the Balrog Slayer, the Peredhel twins, and Erestor.

"My Lords, my name is Dollaew from the Guild of the Mercenaries, and I bring this child back to your house." She tried to keep her voice several octaves graver than usual, swearing in Dwarvish for her bad luck.

Upon seeing her the twins had immediately took hold of their bow and two arrows were now directed at her. However, seeing that she obviously did not wish to cause his foster-son any harm Elrond asked them to lower their weapons,which they did slowly and with some reluctance.

"Ada!" cried Estel in direction of the Lord of Imladris.

' _Oh shit_ ' thought Laew, she hadn't envisaged for a moment that Estel's foster-father would be Elrond Peredhel himself. ' _Okay, breathe in, breathe out. It has been almost 100 years since Elrond, Glorfindel or the twins saw you. You are safe, so do not panic._ '

With ease the elf lord came near Shadow to take the little boy in his arms, gripping him as he would grip to life itself. Estel was crying softly in his father's arms, telling everything that had happened, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"… and then Laew told me to close my eyes during the time she knocked all the bad men down, and ..."

She was receiving some glares, mostly from the twins and Erestor, but some surprisingly grateful ones from Elrond and Glorfindel. All were now truly aware of what she had truly done.

During all this time, the mercenary kept her head lowered, her gaze directed to the ground. She always kept a black cloth around her hair under her hood, so no one could see it, but better be careful. Of course all this caution became obsolete when she heard.

"… And she has such pretty eyes Ada ! They are gray and shine like the Moon!"

All the elves present now stared at her, There were both distrust and curiosity displayed.

' _Oh sweet Eru ! Can I not stop you talking for a moment little boy! So now, can I panic?_ '

Knowing she had been discovered Laew looked up, meeting the stern stare of the Lord of Imladris.

"You are far from home, child."

Feeling a storm of emotions raging in her heart the mercenary simply replied "Indeed, my Lord. The base of the mercenaries is not in this neighborhood."

Elrond raised an eyebrow but did not insist on further explanation, despite the hostility he could feel from his twin sons against the stranger. This elleth had saved his foster-son, the hope for the future of the kingdom of men.

There may have been many reasons to ask her to forsake her own kin but now was not the time.

"Then will you follow us back to Imladris? I believe I owe you a great debt. I would like to thank you properly."

In truth Laew longed to accept the offer, but she knew better. She could not reveal herself.

"It would be an honor my Lord but unfortunately my path is long and I am expected elsewhere. I shall have to decline."

She could see disappointment in Estel eyes but knew it was for the best. "And before you ask, I do not wish any kind of repayment, for mercenaries take it upon themselves to look after those in desperate need."

This part was said with a glare directed to the Peredhel twins, while Estel's face shone with pride… and some relief. Elrond sensed a story behind this and intended to ask about it later.

"Very well then. I wish you a good journey, and remember that my doors will always be open to you."

Not wanting to risk staying any longer Laew simply turned Shadow around and left. Once she was out of earshot Glorfindel, who had been silent until now, approached his Lord. "Elrond, I ...", but the Peredhel interrupted him. "I know, I feel it too."

"What is the matter, Ada?" It was Elladan who had asked the question, distrust for the elleth showing with every word. Elrond didn't bother lecturing him, it was not the time or the place, It would have to wait for later. So he just answered what both he and Glorfindel had not yet spoken.

"It is almost as if we should have somehow recognized her."

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 ** _I hope you liked it ! Please r &r and give me your opinion :)_**


	4. Chapter 4 : New meeting

**_Well here is the fourth chapter :) Thanks to Glenstorm63 for all the corrections ! I hope you will like it ^^_**

 ** _PS : I think it is important to precise that this story is not a Aragorn/OC ! It will only be friendship ;)_**

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 _Aragorn…_

Aragorn knew the situation was not ideal. When he had talked to the farmers just outside Diliun, the little village where he and his rangers had rested for the past few days, he had heard about orc attacks and had stopped his men to ask some questions. The villagers had been so kind to them that he wanted to help them if it was possible. They had told him that the horde was composed of a dozen of the monsters and that there was probably the same number at their camp. As this would be roughly twenty-five orcs, this was fair game for 15 rangers.

So they had made their way toward the supposed locality of the camp and after some time they found it. The problem ? Well, instead of two dozen, there was at least forty of the creatures. So even if the rangers could manage to take down twenty of them with their bows it would still leave at least the same number if not more to kill afterward.

Aragorn was still discussing their different options with Halbarad when he sensed it again. For some time now he had had the impression of being observed, so he looked around him once more, trying to determine the source of this feeling. He was about to resume his conversation when he heard it. The slight rustle of the leafs on the tree next to him. He only had half a second to move before a shadow fell in a crouched position at the exact place he was only a moment ago.

In a quick and now almost natural reaction Strider unscathed his sword, ready to fight. Except his adversary did not get up to protect himself but rather stayed crouched and launched his leg in a half circle, knocking the ranger's feet out of under him. The man's back hit the ground sharply, disorienting him a little. Knowing his sword was now useless he decided to go for the dagger hidden in his coat. But before he could actually grabbed it his wrist was sized and pinned beside his head and the edge of a knife was pressed against his throat.

Knowing he needed help he quickly looked around him only to find that his rangers had their hands raised and were all surrounded by men threatening them with bows and arrows. Alarmed and trying to find way out of this dangerous situation, it was only when Aragorn actually looked up to his aggressor that several things caught his eyes. First the man in top of him was a woman, secondly she was dressed like a mercenary, and finally her own eyes were in the shade of a bright light, almost like the moon. When all these facts added in his mind he could not help but let a heartily laugh out.

 _Dollaew…_

Laughing ?! This man was at her mercy and had the audacity to laugh ? Was he insane ?

Laew had been on a mission, leading a group of twelves mercenaries, when she had encountered some troubles. Their objective had been fairly simple at first, destroying a pack of orcs who were terrorizing a small village. This in exchange of some food, as it was not a rich place. From the description of the village chief, the creatures were no more than two dozen, so not too risky for their group.

The problem was, after a brief reconnaissance mission the scouts had reported more than forty. Which was far more than anticipated. Deciding to see if their was any angle of attack that could maximize chances of success they had circled the beasts' camp from far away. This is when they had found traces of recent activity, which had led to their rapid location of the group of rangers. Always being careful the mercenaries had decided to first take the advantage and then ask the questions.

That was why they had taken places discreetly around the group, careful to not be seen or heard. From what they had observed the men seemed to be trained rangers, so a simple encirclement tactic would not work. And that was why Dollaew, as the captain, had decided to find and take their chief down, knowing that it would unsettle the others enough for her men to act.

So Laew had identified and targetted the man who seemed to be the leader immediately, and despite herself she had been impressed. This man, Strider, from what she had heard, had almost spotted her more than once and definitely had known something was off. And more importantly he had actually managed to evade her when she had sprung into action. Despite all her training, it was only her elvish reflexes which had helped her to keep the upper hand.

Now, he was laughing! She found herself annoyed at the man under her. Who was this man ? Had she met him before ? She could not remember him, but something about him seemed very familiar. She could not place it. He even seemed to rejoice in a her confusion which must have been evident ! Damn him ! She was most definitely feeling her ego being bruised !

even seemed to rejoice in a her confusion which must have been evident! Damn him! She was most definitely feeling her ego being bruised !

 _Aragorn…_

"Hello Dollaew. Nice to see you again." Aragorn greeted the Isil elf with a cheeky grin.

He felt the mercenary's body freeze.

"Who are you ?" she asked in an cold voice.

This would have probably have made anyone else cower in fear, but the memories of a lullaby and a sense of security were still too strong in him to be wary of the elf upon him. He could feel the looks from both rangers and mercenaries but knew neither would move without an order from either leader.

"You don't remember me ? Oh, I'm hurt. More than twenty years ago I was the Hope of Imladris."

Following his encounter with the mercenary, Aragorn had researched the guild and later the Isil elves. He had been saddened by what he had read and had understood why Dollaew had tried to find solace elsewhere.

 _Dollaew…_

Estel? No… There was no way the cute little boy she had rescued years ago had become this annoying ranger ! And no it was not just her ego talking ! But the grey eyes and brown curly hair were indeed what had seemed familiar to her, and he did not seem to be a menace.

So Laew got up and extended her hand to the man on the ground. He took it and slowly got on his feet. They did not look away from each other one moment but both of them discreetly ordered their men to stand down, which they did with some confusion.

"So, what are doing here ? It is a little far from the North for you, is it not ?" asked Dollaew, trying regain the upper hand.

"Well we needed to do some business in Rohan and on our way back we heard about this pack, so we thought we could help, but I think we just find ourself in the same situation as you, am I wrong ?"

Aragorn was not an idiot and knew the mercenaries before him must have been engaged to do the same job.

"Well, in this case I have an idea. You want to take down this pack and so do we. So why not join our forces and lead a common attack ?" the she-elf asked, knowing it was probably their only chance to succeed.

She had worked once or twice with rangers before and knew most of them were capable fighters. And maybe she was intrigued by who had become the young boy, that she had rescued all those years ago.

"And what would we gain from this ?" It was not Estel of Imladris who asked the question, but Strider, chieftain of the Rangers of the North. Laew understood and even respected this.

"Well, you will have done half the work so I offer half the price we were supposed to collect. Does this meet your approval ?" she teased lightly, knowing the proposition was more than fair, as this period of the year was propitious neither for the hunt nor for farming.

"Then we have a deal." and they clasped their forearms in a warrior way.

They decided to form a squad of archers by regrouping the best in both groups. They would be the first to attack, shooting as many foes as possible and would be placed in sort of covering the North from the trees. Then, once the creatures would be distracted, the remaining of the mercenaries would arrived by the South, taking them in the back. And finally the rangers still on the ground would split in two groups, one lead by Strider and the other by Halbarad, and would barged from the East and West.

The plan was surprisingly approved by everyone, and so the attack begin. Between the mercenaries and the rangers the orcs didn't stand a chance. They were disorganized and panicked after the first salve of arrows, not once noticing the shadows creeping behind them. When they did it was already too late, the rangers were charging, not letting a chance for the orcs to build a defense.

The fight was handled swiftly and without injuries, but it was when the victory was almost there that Dollaew saw an orc about to thrust his sword in Strider's back. With lightening-speed and great precision the mercenary captain threw one of her twin knives in the creature neck, killing him instantly.

 _Aragorn…_

Upon hearing the noise behind him Aragorn turned around only to see an orc crumbled, a knife deeply embedded in his throat. Recognizing the weapon he scanned with his eyes the battlefield, and finally found Laew fighting viciously, but only with one knife.

She did not seemed at ease and quickly unscathed a dagger, fighting once again with two weapons. Obviously while being strong enough -she did have broad shoulders- she was used to counter brute force by speed and agility.

There were only a few orcs now, all of them taking care of by either rangers or mercenaries, and so the man permitted himself to pick up the knife, making his way toward the fighting elleth. He swiftly beheaded one of the two orcs in front of her and waited for her to finished the second.

"I think it belongs to you. You should be careful with where you put you weapons. It can be dangerous." he teased handing her the knife in question, trying to pass his thanks for saving his life once again.

 _Dollaew…_

"Indeed, thank you. I hope it did not bother you, looks like I lost it in the heat of the battle." she replied good-naturally, understanding the meaning behind the words.

After a brief check it appeared no one sustained grave injuries, a fact that both leaders greatly appreciated. Once back in the village they both went to the chief's house. The man was clearly surprised to see the ranger chief along with the mercenary captain, but he simply gave the recompense to the black-clothed woman. He was far too happy to be freed from the creatures terrorizing his peaceful village to bother with details.

Once outside they shared the provisions, one half for each. They were about to part their ways when Strider asked an interesting question.

"And what if I want to see you again ? I may have use of your talents in some missions on y own."

"Well what would you say about meeting in Bree in two months ? So we can discussed it ?" she proposed, wanting too to work again with the man.

"Very well. See you in two months !" the ranger called before leaving.

Little did they know that it was the beginning of a strong and durable cooperation and friendship.

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 ** _I hope you liked it ! Please r &r and give me your opinion :)_**


	5. Chapter 5 : Shared Pasts

**_Well here is the fith chapter :) Thanks to Glenstorm63 for all the corrections ! I hope you will like it ^^_**

 ** _PS : I think it is important to precise that this story is not a Aragorn/OC ! It will only be friendship ;)_**

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It had been two months since the day Estel, now named Strider, and Dollaew had met for the second time of their life. Now they were both drinking a beer in The Prancing Pony in Bree, isolated in a back corner. They were talking lightly, finding pleasure in each other company. Maybe it was because they were equals. Strider was the chieftain of the Rangers of the North, and Laew was one of the four Captains of the Mercenaries.

Anyway, they had talked for a while now, and the man had shared with her how he had found himself in the care of Elrond Peredhel all those years ago. She could tell there was more here than the deaths of his parents and the rescue by twin raven-haired elves. But she decided not to pry. It would be hypocritical and graceless at this stage, as it was she who had agreed to answer his questions about how she had found refuge in the Guild.

"I guess you know what happened to my people all those years ago?"

After a brief nod from the ranger she continued "Well, I lost my parents and a lot of persons I loved back then. In a way I think I just lost too much. I knew I just could not follow the others. I cannot tell you all the reasons but I was convinced that if I was to go with the rest of the Isils I would have responsibilities thrown at me, most certainly taking my parents' place in the court, for they were important counselors".

"But I could _not_. It may seem selfish, but I knew I could not do it. I was too broken, too angry. In a sense too wild to do it. I was not ready, and I know I am _still_ not ready. So I took something that I knew everybody would recognize as being mine and put it on a burnt corpse. That is how the one I used to be died."

"Then I hid myself, took a new name, and went into the wild. I learned how to survive alone. I was good at it. So I managed to stay on my own for almost twenty years. And then one day I underestimated the intelligence of a pack of orcs. I found myself encircled, alone against forty foul beasts, some of them with wargs."

"I thought I was about to die, so I fought like never before. I wanted to at least to take as many as possible down with me. I killed fifteen of them before a warg pushed me hard enough to dislocate my left shoulder. Then with only one arm I managed to kill maybe ten more orcs before one of them passed through my defenses."

"He was about to plunge his sword in my heart when an arrow flew right between his eyes. And the next thing I know all the orcs crumpled, dead. I could not recognize the arrows. I thought I would run, but I did not have the chance to take a step. I was once again encircled, this time by mercenaries."

"To be honest I had not eaten a good meal in weeks, and with my left shoulder incapacitated I was not in a favorable position. But then one of them walked toward me and spoke."

 _Flashback_

"My name is Darius, I am the chief of the Guild of the Mercenaries. What is your name young one ?"

Dollaew had heard rumors about the Guild; good as well as bad. While she was not prejudiced, she had long learned to be careful, especially around dangerous persons. And with their skills, the mercenaries were definitely in the 'dangerous' category. But despite this she could not help but grit her teeth at 'young one'.

"Why would my name interest you?" she asked in turn. She had been calm in appearance; in control.

"Well, if I am to welcome you into the Guild I must have a name for you, no?" he replied, almost like she was an idiot for asking.

Right. At this moment all logical thoughts flew from her mind. Who did he think he was to decide she would just join this Guild with a snap of his fingers? Her parents and entire family could not decide her future, it was not for a low-life renegade, an arrogant mortal, a ...

"And why do you think I would wish to join you?" Dollaew had found she was very proud of herself for this still very controlled response.

"Because we can give something you may look for." Right now, his expression was definitely condescending.

"And what would that be?" she asked, her tone beginning to be dry and frustrated.

"A family." was the simple answer.

The young elleth was now very tense and more importantly, furious. How could a man who did not know her dare to judge her like this? How could he think that this group of _miscreants_ could be something akin to a ' _family_ ' for her?

"And what, pray tell me, makes you think I don't already have a family?" her voice was now cold and cutting.

"If you did you would probably be with them right now. And I did not see anyone ready to help you only a few moments ago." Again he used a tone that made her feel like an idiot.

"And you did not think for a moment that maybe, just maybe, I don't want to be with them!? I don't need to be with them!?" She was now shouting, in frustration, grief or in anger, she did not know.

"Oh, then that's the worst kind. You still have family but they just don't want you."

At this the Isil elf let out a savage cry! She charged at the man in front of her. Later when she would think about it she would always blush, shamed to fall for a such an obvious provocation and embarrassed at the way she fought, reckless and angry.

 _End Flashback_

"And so you know how I met ..." but she could not go farther.

"Wait a moment! You cannot mean to skip the fight!" protested the mortal human in front of her.

"It's really not that interesting …" she tried to evade the conversation.

"He kicked your arse, did he?" he asked knowingly.

"… Yes" was the reluctant admission.

"So I definitely want to hear it!"

"Well …" the mercenary sighed and continued her tale.

 _Flashback_

Had she been a little more calm Dolleaw would have seen that her adversary was not really fighting her. The man was only sparring, letting her get all her anger out… on him. And that is what she did, fighting with savage ardor and blinded by fury, letting her emotions run free for the first time since that fateful day when she lost everything.

Somehow with a few well placed, words this mercenary had managed to break the tight reign she formerly had have over her emotions. So she fought. Her right arm attacked again and again, trying to pierce the man's defenses, never once thinking about protecting herself. The pain in her left shoulder and her hunger added to the mix of emotions swirling in her mind, just like alcohol being threw into a fire.

Only when she began to show signs of fatigue did Darius actually counter-attack. With moves she had never seen before, the elleth found herself pinned on the dirt, her right arm blocked in her back while her left was lying uselessly next to her. She tried to throw off the weight holding her down, to no avail. So she struggled. Again and again, even knowing that there was no way for her to free herself.

When all fight finally left her, she stopped, panting, her heart beating wildly in her chest. All she could think of was how she was helpless, helpless like this day, alone against a far stronger adversary. When she completely stilled, her captor slowly released her, but Dollaew did not have any strength left to run.

"Methos, come and take her with you."

A thin but muscular man with dark hair approached her and lifted her in his arms. At this point she was far too exhausted to protest.

"How did you know ?" Methos asked, glancing at the elleth.

"I knew because once I fought like she just did. When you have suffered a great pain, the only solution sometimes seems to just stop all feeling. The problem is, you can hide your emotions, keep them locked in, but it will always eat you away from the inside, in time. All I did was force her to accept her emotions. And the easiest emotion to force out is often the anger. Now she will be able to start anew, and we will help her."

"So we take her home?" asked Methos, smiling knowingly at his leader.

"Yes, we take her home." whispered the man who later would be like a father for her.

 _End Flashback_

"So now you know everything." the mercenary finished her tale.

"Well I warrant it is not everything. But I will be content with that." The ranger tone's was slightly mocking but his eyes were understanding and showed that he knew some of her sorrow.

Yes. Laew now knew that this man could understand her. And she also had the feeling that they would see each other regularly in the future.

Little did they know that their fates were already tangled together and made to dance around each other for the rest of their lives.

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 ** _I hope you liked it ! Please r &r and give me your opinion :)_**


	6. Chapter 6 : Revelations

**_Well here is the fith chapter :) Thanks to Glenstorm63 for all the corrections ! I hope you will like it ^^_**

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Laew realised, in retrospect, that going on a solo mission was not unudual for her. Neither had asking Strider if he had wanted to come with her been unusual. And as either one of them had been hurt during said mission, Dolleaw did not know why she was surprised she had to patch up the ranger after a skirmish which had been a little bit too rough with a pack of wild wargs.

The man had been in a pensive mood all day and the mercenary was dying to know what the matter was with her friend. But she knew better than to pry, and so she just waited for him to confide in her, in his own time. Surprisingly it was not long before he broke the silence of the cave they had found refuge in.

"Laew… I have something to tell you." It was barely a whisper.

"What? Did you pull one of your stitches? Because if that's the case I will probably kill you myself!" There was no heat in her tone though. But the serious edge in her companion's voice worried her.

"No, I would never dare! I'm not suicidal." Despite himself the ranger could not help smile at this.

"Then what's the matter ?" Laew's tone was soft, encouraging him to continue.

"I didn't tell you all the truth about me. When I told you how my parents died I did not reveal their names. You have to understand, that I must be especially cautious about this information, because of what it means about me. My father and my mother were..."

Strider paused for a moment. Was he about to loose another friend over his bloodline? Would he see revulsion in her eyes the moment she knew who his ancestor was? What if she blamed the destruction of her kingdom on him? However he could not continue his dark thoughts any longer as the elleth interrupted him.

"I know." The words were delivered in a flat voice, as if she did not care at all.

"Excuse me?" Strider -or Aragorn- asked, surprised.

"Well, the Chieftain of the Rangers of the North? Even if it's suppose to be a secret. Foster-son of Elrond Peredhel himself, and owner of the ring of Barahir? Another secret, I know. I admit I did have some clues. You only confirmed what I suspected. But the true question is, why did you decide to tell me this _now_?"

"Because I think I too guessed who you really are." There was a pause.

"And what gave me away ?"

"Not ' _what_ ', but more like ' _who_ '." At her confusion he continued.

"After meeting you the first time when I was a child I was so curious about you that I went after Lord Elrond for answers about the Isil elves. But he wasn't being very cooperative, neither was Erestor. So I looked for the only person who I could turn to for the information."

"It was Glorfindel who gave me an account of the tale of your people. But it was the way he spoke about _you_ that caught my attention. He described you with such fidelity that I already had doubts when you told me your history back in the Prancing Pony. But it was the first time you took off your mask and your hood that I finally had the confirmation. You hair's color is not very common for an Isil elf."

Doleaw stayed silent at this. Yes, Glorfindel would have known her well enough to give a very close description. And because she had been foolish back then, he more than probably known she was still alive. But still, it did not completely answer her first question.

"So I ask again. 'what prompted you to tell me this _now_?' "

"Today is my Birthday. Usually, since I left Imladris, I would spend it alone in the wild, but to have the occasion to share this with someone who can actually understand..."

"If you want me to understand then you will have to start at the beginning don't you think ?"

"Well, if I must go back that far, it would be the day I learned my true name. I never felt so damn lost than the day Lord Elrond told me of my true lineage. It was like drowning. Everything was a blur and breathing was so hard, I thought I was going to faint. I did not want to be the Heir of Isildur, nor to be the Hope of Men or a future King."

"I just wanted to be Estel Elrondion, adopted son of Lord Elrond of Imladris. I wanted to learn whatever Erestor wished to teach me, to spar with Glorfindel or go hunting with Elladan and Elrohir. I was desperate to simply sit in the evening with my family in the Hall of Fire and listen to the songs Lindir would have written in the afternoon."

"All I wanted was for my ada to reassure me, to tell me everything would be fine in time. He did not. Instead I saw him backing down, closing himself completely to me. I know that when I told him all this, I lost him."

"He told me the other option for me was to leave Imladris. To leave and come back only when I would be ready to accept my duty, my destiny."

"And now, to be honest, since this day I find myself questioning every one of my memories, even the fondest. Since, there has always been a shadow of doubt. 'Did he really love me?', 'Was he just deceiving me?', 'Was it affection or duty that prompted him to sing to me after a nightmare?"

He seemed so lost that Laew's heart cried for him. Her situation was so close and yet so different. Where she had known, or guessed, what her family really thought of her, never had she been directly rejected. On the contrary, she had never been under the illusion of being embraced and nurtured for her and her alone.

" _Our weapon against the Mordor still stands."_

" _Our weapon ..."_

" _...weapon..."_

"Well, at least you have the luxury to doubt it. Believe me, sometimes it is far better to have some illusion and doubt than knowing the true answer," she mumbled softly. She brought herself back to the present with a slight struggle.

Upon seeing the ranger's inquisitive stare the elleth sighed, "Did he tell you everything?"

Strider hesitated before answering, "Yes, I know the prophecy."

The mercenary glanced at him sharply. Then slowly and deliberately she lifted a slender chain from around her neck.

Aragorn frowned. He was certain he had never noticed Laew wearing a necklace before. Not until this very moment. But when he saw the two pendants on the chain his heart stopped.

There were two black rings. The ranger recognized the first one immediately, forged in black iron with a moonstone in its middle. Mornië ! So the fourth ring of power had survived !

But the second one also caught his attention. It was a black iron ring, but forged in gold all around in the center were finely crafted flowers. He had once saw a similar ring, only on this one the colors were reversed.

Deciding to deal with the most important first he directed his attention to the first ring.

Mornië was exerting the same sense of power that the three others rings did. Aragorn had been able to sense it before, either with Vilya, Narya, or Nenya, and particularly palpable when Lord Elrond, Gandalf, and Lady Galadriel would meet together, as he had known them to do in Imladris.

Raising an eyebrow, he prompted the mercenary to explain. It was a non verbal pact they had made and respected until now. So that's why he simply waited for her to complete her history as he did his. After a while she relented and began to speak.

"The Dragon did defeat me. I remember the intolerable pain as his fire was devouring my body. But then my father, instead of using the last of his powers to kill the Dragon and destroy the ring as he did announce, used them to kill the beast and save me."

"And when I thought, I hoped, that in the end my father had finally acted out of love for me, had saved me from suffering and death because he cared about me, his last words were 'Our weapon against the Mordor still stands.'"

"The rest is as I already told you. I took off my burnt circlet, found a calcined body with my height and weight, and put the circlet on it. And that's how the Princess Silaqui of Seregon died."

In the end she could not help but let some venom colour her tone. She had never shared this with anyone, but actually talking about it showed her that she was not really above the pain, above the anger.

But her anger was not directed at her companion, so she forced herself to calm down. When she looked up she saw that the ranger was beginning to be sleepy, probably an after effect of the wound.

"Now sleep, I will take the first watch."

And as Aragorn closed his eyes and felt sleep taking him on the path of dreams, he could not help but ask himself a question.

' _How close had been Laew and Glorfindel if they exchanged engagement rings?_ '

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 ** _I hope you liked it ! Please r &r and give me your opinion :) It's very important to me !_**


	7. Chapter 7 : Burning Rage

**_Well here is the seventh chapter :) Thanks to MajoraDreemurr52 for all the corrections ! I hope you will like it ^^_**

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Laew was excited. Finally, after seven months, she had been reunited with Strider. The man had accompanied Mithrandil on a mission, again. Apparently, there was still some hopes about finding this _Gollum_ before the enemy.

She would have gladly come with him, but she could not take the risk of being seen by Mithrandil. She had met more than once the wizard before and knew how much power he held. He would have probably recognized her the second he saw her.

They were now heading toward a small village, one that held no prejudices against neither the mercenaries nor the rangers. They had talked on the road in details about these past few months, their respective missions and adventures. Now they were walking in a comfortable silence, until Aragorn broke it.

"I wanted to ask you for some time now, how many people know about your true identity?" the man sounded really curious.

"Well, there is you, obviously," Laew was smirking lightly at this, enjoying the frustrated look on her companion's face: "Then you have Darius, Methos and his wife, and finally Glorfindel."

"How..."

"Methos' wife, Garona, is an Isil elf. She was a guard under my grandfather's reign from what I have understood. She deserted when her sister and brother were killed on a mission. She was almost immediately spotted and recruited by the guild. That's where she met Methos."

"When Garona saw me, I guess she recognized me. Or at least my lineage. Then she probably told it to Methos who repeated it to Darius. Well, I think Darius already had suspicions anyway. He always seems to know everything." she smiled slightly at the last part.

"Do you think they know about the prophecy?"

"I don't think so. I was not born when Garona left, so she cannot be aware. That means Methos does not know, meaning Darius is probably not private to this knowledge. But you have to understand, when we officially enter the Guild, it is considered as a rebirth of sort. Most of us chose another name and buried the past behind. We respect each other secrets and shadows and we only rarely talk about who we were before."

"But how can you trust someone you don't know?" Laew almost laughed at the disbelief written all over the man's face.

"We know each other. At least we know the essential." Upon seeing the confusion in the ranger's eyes, she continued. "I know that Methos is a wonderful diplomat, as well as the greatest second in command I could ever dream of. I know he has been offered the post of Captain more than once, but always declined, and is madly in love with Garona. I know the idiot would die for me, as I would for him. And while he would hear my command to leave me behind, it would be to only come back with more reinforces.

"I know that Garona is a fierce warrior, but an excellent healer as well, one of the few I would trust beside you. I know she told me some of her past to get even with me, because she is fair and does not like cheating. She does not take bullshit of any kind and like to go straight to the point. She follows orders very well and is quite a tactician. I know she does not like diplomacy and politics,

letting Methos and I play our 'mind games', as she calls it. I know she would fade if something was to happen to Methos, but would not blame anyone for it, as they both know the risks when they accept a mission.

"And as for Darius, I know he lost his wife years ago, and will never be able to love again. I know he wish he could save every lost soul on this earth and sees most of us as his children. I know I owe him my life and my sanity. I know I would follow him to the end of this world if I had to, in the fire of the Mordor itself if he asked me. I know he is the father I never had...

"As for the other way around, well, they know I am younger that I like to pretend. They know I can be vicious and manipulative when needed, but I also can be far too damn sensible in some other occasions. They know most of the time I am calm and collected, but that some subjects can set me off pretty easily. They know I have claustrophobia, and that fire is not my best friend. Finally, they know I would rather die than let anything happen to someone under my command, and that I will always do everything in my power to bring them home."

Aragorn thought about all this for some time. He could understand most of what she had been talking about, but yet could not imagine working with or placing your life in the hands of someone you barely knew. Maybe it was just him being superficial and immature. But then again, Laew had always had a great empathy, knowing the true self of someone almost instantly, maybe even before the person himself.

At first, the ranger had though it was from her powers or from her elfin heritage. But now he knew it was just something from herself. When they were travelling together they would eat mostly grains and fruits, for she did not like hunt and kill innocent animals when they could avoid it. That is why unfair situations would anger her so much. Because she could instantly place herself in the victim place and feel either the fear, the despair or the pain they were experiencing.

Before understanding this, Aragorn had been shocked at seeing her looking the other way around when a situation like this would happened. At first, he had though that it was cowardice. Now he knew better. He knew that sometime a problem cannot have a solution, and that looking the other way was her only option to avoid an unnecessary pain. But still, it left him with a question without an answer.

"And what about Glorfindel?"

"Sorry, but this story is quite long, and probably better reserved for another time."

While anyone would have backed off at her cutting tone, the ranger knew it was simply to hide how uncomfortable she was with this subject. Well, if the slight blush on her cheeks was anything to go by. Aragorn was about to push his investigation a little farther when a chilling cry split the silence.

They moved carefully until they were on the border of a little opening. The scene displaying in the center was vaguely familiar. There were men, too poor to be slaver, but not common villagers either. They were probably lowly thieves or brigands. Two of them were dragging a teenager between them while the others were laughing loudly.

There was no more than five of them so Laew and Strider were sure enough to end on the winning side. Now the only problem was residing in protecting the girl while fighting. Quickly, both companions decided to try a plan which had work many times before. Their minds made, they swiftly went on separated ways. Strider waited few minutes for Laew to take place and then stepped in the opening. His face and strides were confident when he spoke quite loudly.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. May I inquire about your business with this young woman?"

"This is not of your concern, ranger. Leave now and I will let you live."

He was, with one of his acolytes, the closer from the girl. That is why they were the two firsts to fall, an arrow piercing their hearts. Then it was olny a matter of seconds before the mercenary and Strider sealed the fate of the others, the man with his sword and the mercenary with a final shot.

Once she was sure she all the brigands were dead, Laew went to the teen. She was obviously terrified, but other than that she seemed to be fine. However, as she moved closer and closer, the elf could tell that she was the one the villager was afraid of.

"Stay away from me!"

"Don't be _stupid_ child, I've just saved your life."

Thinking her point made, Laew took another step and grabbed the girl's arms. She was definitely not in the mood to play nice and was pissed off that stupid prejudices would stop the girl from accepting help from her or Strider.

The mercenary never saw the knife.

One moment she was helping the young woman to her feet, and the next Aragorn was between them, his back turned on Laew and the weapon deeply embedded in his abdomen. The elleth did not even have the time to catch him before he hit the ground, limp like a rag doll.

Something snapped in the Isil elf at this moment. A sudden and imposing wave of anger, fury, and hatred hit her at full strength. It spread a fire through her veins, like nothing she experienced before. Her every nerve was alight with the desire to hurt and destroy. She wanted the girl to suffer, to… _to burn_.

The mercenary could feel the power within her, reacting to her emotions. It began to swirl around her, almost as if it was enjoying such freedom. Soon a black cloud formed itself, engulfing her in a dark and strangely comforting embrace.

Distantly, a muffled voice in the back of her mind seemed to be trying to warn her against something. But the look of utter terror on the __pathetic__ human's face, now on her knees in front of her, silenced the whispers.

During Laew's time as mercenary, she had felt more than once the excitation when she would get the better of an adversary, when she was about to kill someone in order to protect herself or one of her allies. But never before had she felt this satisfaction, this delight, at being the only one deciding between the life and death of another being.

It was intoxicating.

But soon she remembered why she wanted to kill the girl, and cold rage washed over her. This __insignificant thing__ had dared to stab Strider. To attack her best friend. Such an affront had to be punished, the perpetrator needed to die. As soon as the elleth's mind was made, her magic lashed out.

Only after some time the Isil elf magic calmed down, as her emotions. Her magic slowly stilled, before taking refuge in her body once again. When Laew finally opened her eyes, and she did not even remember closing them, what she saw left her speechless.

The body in front of her was unrecognizable. It was an informed pile of burned and scarred flesh. Bones and muscles seemed to have been melt, while skin and organs presented clear signs of being cut open.

Clearly, it had been a very long and agonizing death. Maybe that is why Laew had heard screams, but back then it had been like music to her ears. Anyway, she could not care any longer for the stupid girl. Her friend needed her. Without a second thought, she turned around and walked toward the prone form of Strider.

Fortunately, the knife had not move too much, so it was, in fact, slowing the blood loss, which could have been fatal by now. The Guild was only a few miles away on the South and Laew knew Strider could not wait any longer. The Isil elf suspected she would be punished for showing the emplacement of the Guild to an outsider, but her mind was made.

She tucked one of the ranger's arms around her shoulders and placed one of her own around his waist, supporting almost all his weight. Then she began what she knew would be a race against time, determined to save the Heir of Isildur.

And during all that time, she didn't spend even a single instant pondering on, just why she could not feel neither guilt or remorse.

* * *

 ** _I hope you liked it ! Please r &r and give me your opinion :) It's very important to me !_**


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